Baedeker Poems | Examples

A Deal With the Devil

Walter Baedeker is a hypochondriac.
His doctor says his ills are psychosomatic.
Walter reciprocates by calling him a quack.
The patient is healthy, but stays in bed.
He thinks he is sick, but it’s all in his head.
In a short period of time, he expects to be dead.

Up pops the devil by the name of Cadwallader.
The devil wants to make a deal with Walter.
This is a very unusual offer.
Cadwallader wants to make Mr. Baedeker immortal.
Also, Walter can be indestructible.
The former hypochondriac will feel no pain.
He can even survive being run over by a train.
To cross the River Styx, he has to pay a toll.
Walter gets immortality in exchange for his soul.
The man can avoid death no matter what the cause.
However, his contract contains an escape clause.

Do you want to know where things will go?
Next time it’s on television, watch the show.

Based on the Twilight Zone episode “Escape Clause”